The obvious truth
by oldmule
Summary: "If there were ever two people who needed their heads banging together, it's you two." Malcolm attempts to sort out Harry and Ruth!  Chapter 7 probs but hopefully fixed now.
1. Chapter 1

**Could be a one shot, not sure.**

**Disclaimers and all that. Set post 9.8 but without the whole inquiry thing.**

"If there were ever two people who needed their heads banging together, it's you two."

"Malcolm." Harry's voice had a real note of warning.

"'I'm sorry Harry, but I can't help feeling responsible."

"I don't know what you're talking about Malcolm, but now is neither the time nor the place." Harry was aware of Ruth's discomfort. It was most unlike Malcolm to be discussing personal matters especially in front of the whole team, in the pub, only an hour after they'd buried Lucas. The others had chosen to keep quiet and let this play out.

"It's never going to be the right time or the right place, Harry, because the two of you will keep sticking your head in the sand, refusing to see what the rest of us know."

"Malcolm, enough," said Ruth putting her hand on his arm as he was about to have another slug of whiskey, it really was most unlike him, in fact she hadn't seen him like this since Colin had died.

"I'm not a betting man, but I'll lay you a wager that everyone around this table recognises what you won't." Malcolm looked challengingly around the table., "Beth, isn't it?" he asked as she wished he'd picked on one of the others.

"Yes,"

"You know what I'm talking about don't you?" She nodded "yes, I believe I do."

Malcolm turned to Dimitri, eyebrows raised.

"You don't have to be a genius", he said and nodded.

"Alec?"

"Took me about ten minutes to see it."

Harry glared at him.

All eyes turned to Tariq who looked a little confused, he hadn't really been listening to the beginning of the conversation and had missed the salient moment.

Dimitri helped him out by flicking a look between first Harry, then Ruth.

"Oh," said a relieved Tariq, "oh yes, it's obvious."

Malcolm turned back to Harry with a smug look on his face. "You see."

Ruth's eyes were lowered to the table, she had watched all their answers amidst glances to Harry to see if his temper would remain in check. He had given nothing away. She knew that they didn't understand the complication of their relationship, the past and all the things they'd seen, but perhaps their way of looking at it was the right way. She was pondering this when Malcolm spoke again.

"Harry, you love Ruth, don't you?" Harry wasn't sure whether it was a question or a statement but his old friend kept looking at him, waiting. The others were trying not to look at him. Ruth's head was still lowered.

"Yes."

Malcolm nodded. "Ruth, you love Harry, don't you?"

The team weren't as scared of Ruth so all eyes turned to her, including Harry's.

She lifted her head slowly and looked at him.

"I do."

Seven pairs of lungs momentarily stopped working.

No one spoke.

Harry looked at Ruth and Ruth looked at Harry.

Malcolm took Harry's hand from it's glass and pulled it across the table. He reached out for Ruth's and placed it gently on Harry's.

"Now, for heaven's sake, sort it out."

Suddenly the table was empty bar the two of them.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a long silence.

"Embarrassed?" asked Harry.

"A little."

"Do you want me to move my hand?"

"No" she said but slid hers beneath his, better so that he could hold it.

"So…." he looked at her, adoring but nervous, he'd been here before thinking there was progress only for her to rescind whatever hope she had given him.

"So…." she repeated.

A moment more passed.

"What are you thinking, Harry?"

"I'm wondering when you are going to take your hand away and tell me that this can't happen because too much has gone before."

"Is that what you expect?"

"Yes. It's what usually happens when you let me get too close."

"Maybe this time it will be different."

"I hope so, Ruth, because…."

"Because…?"

"I don't think I have it in me to keep going if this turns into another rejection."

"What are you saying, Harry?"

"I just mean that…oh I don't know what I mean. I was going to say, don't expect me to still be there wanting you, if you say that it can't work . But I will be. I will be. I can't help myself."

"Have I been that hard on you?" she asked sadly.

"Sometimes."

"Do you understand why?"

"Sometimes."

"Well, then, you're doing a better job than me."

He looked at her.

"I'm sorry, Harry"

"For what?"

"For not letting you love me."

"I did love you, you couldn't stop me."

"Did?" she asked nervously.

"Do, Ruth. Do. And will, ad infinitum."

She smiled.

"Maybe we just have to be honest with each other," he said.

"I don't want to marry you and I don't want to give up my job," she said simply.

"Ok. Glad to see you're taking it a little easier on me."

She squeezed his hand "Sorry, that was a touch too honest, wasn't it?"

"It overtook honest and was on it's way to vaguely brutal," he tried to hide the disappointment by smiling weakly.

"Harry, I think too much, I worry too much, I see everything that can go wrong, see all the scenarios…."

"I see a scenario, everyday, Ruth" he willed her to ask him.

"And what's that?"

"I see myself waking up next to you in the morning, loving you, making breakfast for you. I see us going to work and coming home. Together. Having a glass of wine, going to bed and doing the same and the same and the same, ad infinitum."

"Don't you think I haven't seen that scenario too, Harry?"

"Have you?"

"Yes, always."

"Then, why does anything have to go wrong? Why can't that be the one that works, the one that makes us happy?"

"And would it make you happy?"

He laughed and fought the tears in his eyes.

"Yes, Ruth. Yes, it would."

"Then maybe that's the scenario we should try out before we go rushing headlong into anything else."

He felt his chest heaving and his breath was heavy with emotion.

"Do you mean it, Ruth?"

"Yes."

"Will you change your mind?"

"Not before we've tried it, but who knows, if you snore or can't make decent toast then I might."

"I'll make you the best toast you've ever tasted."

She smiled and reached down to kiss his hand.

"And don't worry about the snoring, I don't think I'll be spending very much time asleep."

He was happy to see that he could still make her blush.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a cold but sunny day. Not quite ideal for sitting outside a country pub, but not unpleasant either. Mind you, they hadn't really had much choice since Malcolm's unexpected and rather courageous intervention.

"I still can't believe you did that, Malcolm," mused Beth.

"Me neither," he said "I thought Harry might hit me."

"One thing" asked Dimitri "how come you said you felt responsible?"

Malcolm proceeded to tell them how he had scared Ruth off after her first dinner with Harry and how it had all gone wrong after that including her exile in Cyprus and her return. They had all heard rumours and snippets of information but to hear the full story was insightful and moving and helped explain a multitude of things.

"Wonder how they're getting on in there?" Beth said.

"Do you want me to go rig something?" No one was sure whether Tariq was serious or not, so they ignored him.

"They've probably not got over holding hands yet," laughed Dimitri.

"Anyway, if you do plant a mic, it'll probably be pointless, they'll be just sat looking at each other for the next week and a half."

"That's unfair, Beth" said Alec "more like a fortnight." They laughed.

"Come what may," said Malcolm, "it's taken about five years to get to this point, so we'd be wise not to hold our breath."

"We need to be getting back soon. How much longer shall we give them?" Dimitri wondered.

Beth and Alec looked at their watches.

"Fifteen minutes" said Alec.

"Thirty" said Beth, she didn't know what it was about Alec but there was something about him that she just wanted to constantly object to.

"Ok, thirty it is"

And they all waited.

* * *

"Go on Tariq"

"What?"

"Go and get them" said Dimitri like he was talking to an idiot.

"Why me?"

"Because Harry would expect nothing else, you're always the one who interrupts him," Beth laughed.

"Oh, great, get my head bitten off again, " he muttered getting up.

"Don't worry, he's probably all loved up and'll go easy on you," Dimitri was really enjoying this.

They waited.

Tariq returned.

"Well?" they asked.

"They're gone" he said

"What? When?"

"I don't know but neither of them are in there."

Beth turned to Malcolm

"Malcolm, is this a good thing, or a bad?"

Malcolm shrugged, "It's Harry and Ruth, who knows. But if any one can manage to blow the opportunity, it's them."


	4. Chapter 4

**Short one - more to come**

The team walked back on to the grid without Malcolm, though they had promised to keep him informed if there was any progress on the H/R front.

They were shocked. Harry sat in his office and Ruth at her desk. She looked up, said "hi," smiled and returned to her screen. Harry was pouring over papers and didn't even glance up. They caught each others eyes, decided to say nothing and all returned to work. A sense of disappointment hung over them. Alec walked past Dimitri's desk subtly dropping a twenty pound note, he had put his money on them not coming back to work at all. He hadn't yet realised how unpredictable the two or them in combination could be, he'd learn.

No one intended to leave work early that day. Harry and or Ruth were usually always the last to leave but not tonight, the team had concluded that they would make sure of that. The two had managed not to come into contact all afternoon. They were all on high alert.

At six pm Harry stood from behind his desk and reached for his coat. Beth saw if first and caught Dimitri's eye.

He opened the door and walked to the pods, "Night" he called. "Goodnight, Harry" they responded. He paused and waited. Ruth stood, gathered her coat and bag and followed him. "Night" she too said and they both departed without ever really looking at each other.

"Result." Claimed Alec.

"You sure?" Beth wasn't as convinced.

"Yeah sure, when do they ever usually leave together?" added Dimitri

"You never normally see them leave, you're usually in the pub by then."

"Fair point" admitted Dimitri.

"He might just be giving her a lift, I mean they've barely spoken all afternoon."

"Oh sod this, it's exhausting . Now you mentioned it, Beth, let's go to the pub."

And Dimitri and Alec were halfway out the pod doors before she could answer.

"Tariq!" she shouted on the way out.

A couple of minutes later he wondered in. The place was empty.

"Must be me" he muttered to himself and went back to his new software.


	5. Chapter 5

**They're getting shorter but I just loved the brevity of this.**

"Dinner in, or dinner out?"

"Out"

"Happy to go straight there?"

"Mmm" she smiled at him.

He wanted to keep looking at her but the road was greedy for his attention too.

"It's not too fancy, but it serves early and the food's good."

"Harry, I wouldn't really mind if it was the chip shop."

"Sure?"

"Sure."

"About everything?'

"About everything."

"Are you just going to keep repeating me all evening Ruth?"

"Might do" she said with a smirk.

"I love you" he said keeping his eyes on the road.

"I love you," she repeated, looking out of the window.

They both smiled.

**Prob more coming**


	6. Chapter 6

**Again another little vignette**

"Thanks for dinner, it was lovely"

"My pleasure" he purred as they walked to the car.

They got in. It had been a lovely meal. They had talked happily about many things, work and non work related, about family, friends, Lucas, Malcolm, about life and death. They had not spoken of their feelings, nor of the step they knew they were making.

Harry started the engine but didn't go anywhere, primarily because he didn't actually know where he was going.

"Yours, or mine?" he eventually dared to say.

"Yours." She said.

"Sure?"

"Harry, if you ask me one more time if I'm sure I may have to hand you over to the Russians. Yes, I'm sure. Now drive."

"You're actually quite bossy, aren't you Ruth?"

"Oh, you've seen nothing yet."

"I warn you, I'm not very good at taking orders," he said

"Surely it depends what the orders are."

"What have you got in mind?" he looked longily at her.

"Well for starters, mind that bloody bike!"

He swerved in time.

"Let's just get home, in one piece, shall we, Harry."

"Yes," he said, "let's get home."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hopefully this is the right chapter now - sorry to all for the wrong chapter that kept popping up.**

He stood behind her and took her coat , he was sorely tempted to kiss her neck but stopped himself thinking he didn't want to rush her.

She felt his breath on the back of her neck and willed him to reach that inch closer and kiss her. He didn't.

"Drink?" he asked.

"Please. A glass of red would be good"

He nodded and retreated to the kitchen almost wishing it was the following day and they could be past this awkwardness.

She waited and wished he would stop treating her like something that might break if he touched it.

"Thanks" she said as she took the wine and they both sat on the sofa, close but not close enough for either of their likings.

They both drank and the silence hung heavy around them.

"I'll put some music on" and he was up and fiddling with an ipod, "this should do"

he said eventually and sat back down.

Despite the music their silence felt just as heavy and screamed just as loud.

She left her hand casually languishing on the sofa, close enough for him to easily take it.

Her hand was so close, he could reach out but he didn't.

She looked at him and willed him to kiss her, to hold her, something.

She was looking at him and her eyes were so bright and beautiful and he wanted her so much but he told himself to tread gently.

"Harry?"

"Yes."

"This isn't really working it is?"

She said, less question and much more statement.

He looked at her.

"Please don't do this now, Ruth. Please don't back away from me now."

"No, Harry. You don't understand."

He looked like a child, unsure as she held all his hopes and happiness in her hands.

"I mean, right now, why are you so distant?"

"Ruth…I'm not…I don't understand"

"Harry, why do you hardly ever touch me?"

"What?"

"Why when in the past, I've touched you, shown you some encouragement, given you something to react to, why have you never reached back out to me?"

"Is that all?"

"What do you mean, is that all?"

"Is that all that's the matter, right now, when you said it's not working?"

"Well, yes"

"Are you sure?"

"Harry." She didn't want to go down the 'are you sure' line again.

"You think I don't want to touch you?"

"Well, I have the distinct feeling that either you don't want to or you daren't come near me in case I break, or flee, or something."

He looked away from her and sighed, wondering whether they would ever stop misreading each other when it came to their feelings. He thought about explaining how yes, he was worried that she would still run from him if he pushed her. He thought about what to say and then he decided to say nothing. He decided to trust in her and himself.

"Harry?" whatever was going through his head, she couldn't read.

He turned and with one very smooth movement reached a hand behind her neck and pulled her firmly forwards. His other hand wound around her waist and he pressed her against him. His kiss surprised her, it enveloped her and she felt herself falling into it and not wanting to ever resurface. There was a wave of relief to finally kiss him and then a wave of desire fell over her and the she was caught in the surf, helpless, wave after wave crashing over her.

He finally released her from the tumult of his kiss, lips still just brushing hers,

"Come to bed," he said

She couldn't speak so she just nodded.


	8. Chapter 8

"So go on, how do you like your toast, Ruth?"

"Oh, I'm very particular about it"

"No pressure then."

"Right, well, listen very carefully, Harry, because this could be make or break."

"Explain away. I'm all yours" he said and stopped what he was doing.

"You are, aren't you?" she said with a smile, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck and pulling his face down to her. She fully understood what a serious addiction she had developed to his lips in only a very short space of time and wondered how she would get through the day on the grid without feeling them.

"Tell me about the toast" he insisted, pulling away. It didn't work she was trying to kiss him again and so he moved his lips to her neck.

"Ruth, tell me how you like your toast."

"I don't really care, Harry, however you like"

"You're just saying that, you don't mean it."

"You could serve me up a lump of charcoal right now and I wouldn't care as long as you kept doing what you're doing!"

"Ruth, this is serious, tell me about the toast."

"Butter only, has to be warm so it melts, not too toasted, not too underdone."

"Good, how many slices."

"Right now, none. I'm not hungry."

"I wouldn't say that" he said and tossed the bread he'd been trying to pick up whilst still kissing her neck to one side. "Oh, sod the toast."


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The Grid was fully staffed. It was unusual for everyone to be in before Ruth, less so for Harry as he often had early meetings in Whitehall. Beth was fresh in from a surveillance job so she hadn't been home and thus had no idea whether Ruth had been in last night or not. The team waited patiently.

* * *

"Ruth"

"Yes, Harry"

"If you want to keep us being together private, then that's fine. Whatever you want, however you want to play it."

"Do you think some gossip might scare me off again?'

He didn't answer but his silence was enough.

"I really have made you insecure haven't I, Harry?"

"I just don't want anything to spoil …this" he said inadequately.

She smiled at him.

* * *

The pod doors opened and Ruth came in alone.

"Morning, Evershed"

"Morning Dimitri"

"Running a little late, today" he smiled.

"Yes, you know how it is with the traffic."

"Oh, yes, very bad, the traffic"

She sat at her desk and closed down the conversation by picking up the phone to request some files.

Half an hour later Harry strode onto the grid, he glanced at Ruth, nothing unusual there, that was his default setting.

Beth wandered past Ruth "You look nice, Ruth"

"Thanks" she was wary.

"Forgot to say that you looked nice yesterday, too"

Ruth just nodded.

Alec wasn't far behind "Yes, you did, similar outfit to yesterday, that's probably why"

And Dimitri, "Almost identical, I'd say," the vultures were circling.

"Malcolm" Tariq whispered down the phone "Ruth's in and she's wearing the same clothes as yesterday."

* * *

Ruth looked at Harry sat behind his desk, she had done it a thousand times but this was different. She looked at him and felt his lips brushing over her skin, she looked at him and heard his hot breath in her ear. Stop it, Ruth. She was not going to get any work done by continuing in this vein.

Harry caught Ruth watching him. He wondered if he could be any happier. He felt like charging across the grid, pinning her to her chair and kissing the breath out of her. No. He had to control himself, he didn't even know if she wanted them to be public property yet.

* * *

It was late afternoon and he had a meeting. He walked towards the pods, Ruth's desk was empty, he felt disappointed not to see her before he left. The rest of the grid were watching him, he wondered whether he and Ruth were under more scrutiny because they didn't know what was going on, or because they did. He just hoped that whatever they did and said would not make Ruth run for the hills.

"Harry"

He turned as Ruth appeared and moved towards him.

"Ruth", he said trying to remain objective and not gaze too longingly at her.

"Have a good meeting", she said "and I'll see you later."

She straightened his tie, smoothed his collar and smiled lovingly at him.

The grid had grown very quiet and still.

"Ruth, do you know what you're doing?" he whispered.

"Oh yes, Harry, I know" she said and put both hands behind his head, pulled him towards her and kissed him. When she felt perilously close to the edge of losing herself in his kiss, she stepped back and winked at him and then walked calmly back to her desk. All eyes followed her as she sat and smiled to herself. Then they looked back to Harry who was still standing where she had left him. He didn't move. He just looked at her and wondered if he'd ever be able to breathe properly again. Finally he tore his eyes from her and turned to the pods "Ruth," he called over his shoulder, she looked up, "I'll be home by eight, make sure the toast's on." And he was gone.


End file.
